Following a storm, there’s a moment when surfaces are left covered with beautiful, randomly dispersed droplets that glisten until they evaporate. In his new series — appropriately titled After the Rain —Parisian designer Quentin Vuong has been able to recreate this effect with startling accuracy across a series of blackened oak furniture pieces, upon which he painstakingly hand-applies black epoxy resin. Currently on show at Galerie Gastou, the series is the latest example of Vuong’s delicate approach to imbuing his works with intriguing details that require significant time and focus to achieve. 

Vuong initially studied product design at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, before undertaking a residency at the Benetton-supported Fabrica institute in Italy’s Veneto region, under the supervision of designer Sam Baron. Upon his return to the French capital in 2018, Vuong found himself working in a fashion production studio, creating scenography for catwalk shows, and making connections with fellow designers, suppliers, and clients. He slowly amassed the tools he required to produce his own designs, as well as a workshop in Villa Belleville in which to do so.

Vuong’s first pieces were a series of mirrors, and a particular design he created in 2021 for luggage brand Rimowa — for which he applied a liquid-like substance to a grooved aluminum sheet like those used to make the suitcases — garnered him acclaim as it traveled internationally with the exhibition As Seen By. A common theme that emerged in his work was gilding, achieved by applying gold or silver leaf to surfaces, handles, or the feet of his furniture pieces, a process he describes as “really long and quite physical also, but it’s like a meditation. You need to be very focused, because if you move too fast or breathe too heavily, the leaf flies away.”

For After the Rain, this appliqué technique evolved into his use of resin to create a liquid-like effect, which he achieves using a pipette to drop and spread the material so it looks as natural as possible. “I’m kind of scattering the resin with the tip of the tool to release the right quantity and give it shape, to mimic a real droplet,” Vuong explains. With a slightly surreal slant, he not only applies the droplets to horizontal surfaces, but vertical ones too. This allows more elements to catch the light in interesting ways. “What I like with the black collection is that I can play with reflection, with the light that is happening into a room, but at the same time there are a lot of gradients of silver and black,” he says. “I like this subtle richness.” The pieces themselves are relatively minimal in form, and include an armchair, side and coffee tables, a screen, a floor lamp and several mirrors. All employ traditional joinery techniques — there’s no glue or screws involved.

The exhibition at Galerie Gastou opened during Maison & Objet in January and is on view through March. Now that the many months of work preparing for the show are complete, Vuong is taking a trip to Vietnam to enjoy a well-deserved vacation, trace his heritage, and source inspiration for future collections. Stay tuned.